Choosing the right burglar alarm for your home.

You pull up to your house after a business trip, holiday or weekend away with friends and something doesn’t feel right. You get out of the car or taxi and walk up to the front door, fiddling to find the keys in your bag. The front door is unlocked. Your suspicious feeling grows stronger. You walk into your home and your heart lurches into your throat. Your house is completely ransacked. No corner hasn’t been left unturned and every precious valuable gone. That is not exactly the welcome home party your were looking for.

Homeowners regularly return after a holiday to find their home has been burgled and this experience can leave you feeling very exposed and invaded. Having an imposter in your home can make you feel nervous and scared. If you have family, you are much more concerned for their safety and your own. It becomes a priority to get an alarm to deter this type of thing happening in the future.

Choosing a security system for you home can be a difficult task. There are so many different systems to choose from and so many different technical words. This blog will help to guide you through some of that decision making, so you don’t have to experience a burglary yourself.

Burglary stats

The latest information released by the British Crime survey has proven that burglaries in the UK have fallen since the recent recession but the economy is always at risk of crashing again and with that comes more burglaries.

How much does a burglar alarm cost?

This is entirely based on the system you decide to choose. You can get one for just 40 quid from Argos that will give you basic protection. You may want to invest in a more complex system that can cost up to £1,000 which has all the trimmings such as infrared sensors, shock detectors and a link to the police.

Installation:

It is a good idea to have a professional install your alarm system and this can cost around £500. You also need to factor in maintenance that can set you back around £150 per year, a factor that is included in the contract.

Different types of alarms:

There isn’t much variety when it comes to alarms. You can get either an alarm only system or a monitored alarm.

  • Alarm only: This type of system will basically make a lot of noise if it is activated. It will probably mean an intruder will scarper pretty quickly and your neighbours will be alerted but the police won’t be directly alerted. This will cost you somewhere between £350 to £600.
  • Monitored alarm: A monitored alarm is connected 24 hours a day and will have monthly costs as well as an installation fee. If the alarm is triggered a signal is immediately sent to the receiving centre and a consultant will immediately call your home to get the password and check in. If the password is not given or the phone isn’t answered then the police will be notified.
  • Speech dialer: This is a cheaper alternative to the monitored system and basically means that when the alarm is triggered the speech dialer will call the pre-programmed numbers and leave an automated message. This feature costs between £100 and £150.

The Police:

Typically the police do not respond to an alarm only alert and you need to have the monitored system to include a police response. This obviously costs more money and can be up to £20 a month or more depending on the maintenance fee.

You cannot always be certain that the cops will respond to your alarm immediately either. They usually wait for two sensors to go off and even then they won’t be in a mad hurry to get to your home. If you have many false alarms the cops will strike you off their list all together so you really need to consider whether having a police response is really worth it.

Insurance:

You will see a decrease in your home insurance if you install an alarm. This discount can be anywhere between 0% and 15% but this varies between companies.
Alternatives?

If all this seems like a lot of unnecessary hassle, you can get a dummy alarm that will merely deter a burglar. This is certainly the cheapest option at just £10 but obviously burglars are getting wise to these tricks.

Do you have a security system? Do you feel safer having one and why? How much did you pay? Tell us below.


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